The Infinite in the Finite / Edition 1

by Alistair Macintosh Wilson

Overview

A conversation between Euclid and the ghost of Socrates. . . the paths of the moon and the sun charted by the stone-builders of ancient Europe. . .the Greek ideal of the golden mean by which they measured beauty. . . Combining historical fact with a retelling of ancient myths and legends, this lively and engaging book describes the historical, religious and geographical background that gave rise to mathematics in ancient Egypt, Babylon, China, Greece, India, and the Arab world. Each chapter contains a case study where mathematics is applied to the problems of the era, including the area of triangles and volume of the Egyptian pyramids; the Babylonian sexagesimal number system and our present measure of space and time which grew out of it; the use of the abacus and remainder theory in China; the invention of trigonometry by Arab mathematicians; and the solution of quadratic equations by completing the square developed in India. These insightful commentaries will give mathematicians and general historians a better understanding of why and how mathematics arose from the problems of everyday life, while the author's easy, accessible writing style will open fascinating chapters in the history of mathematics to a wide audience of general readers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780198539506
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	01/18/1996
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	538
Product dimensions:	9.42(w) x 6.34(h) x 1.41(d)
Lexile:	1140L (what's this?)

About the Author

Alistair Wilson has worked as an astrophysicist for NASA, lectured in physics at Curtin University, Western Australia, and is currently a freelance writer and teacher living in Perth.

Table of Contents

1. Symphonies of stone2. The pyramid builders3. The Theban Mysteries4. Babylon5. The Middle Kingdom6. The Achaeans7. A World made of numbers8. The thoughts of Zeus9. The philosopher's criticism10. The Elements of Euclid11. An island interlude12. Proportion13. The Divine Archimedes14. Apollonius the great geometer15. The science of numbers16. The School of Alexandria17. The dark subcontinent of India18. The contribution of IslamIndex

Editorial Reviews

"The author has woven together a broad historical backgrounding and some fairly detailed but accessible mathematics in a most exciting way." —John Fauvel, author of Let Newton Be!

"I'm inclined to characterise this book as one that will help people who are attracted to mathematics get to grips with history . . . it is a brave and largely successful attempt to weave both subjects together in an entertaining and informative manner."—The Times Higher

"The book is rich historical context for these contributions and elaborating ancients myths connected to them. Yet, it also gives modern interpretations of classical concepts, such the illustration of the golden mean in the Boeing 747 jumbo jet....This book is an excellent choice for a mathematics club, and for those who are interested in understanding how mathematics has developed and been applied to the problems of specific eras."—Mathematics Association of America Online

"If you want to know about the general historical circumstances of a certain mathematical period, in this book you will find more than in most other histories of mathematics, plus nice anecdotes. Together with a little group theory you will learn how the oracle of Zeus spoke from the rustling leaves of the oak at Dodona."—Mathematical Reviews

From the Publisher